Dual FISH is an efficient technique for determination of the sex of human preimplantation embryos and the additional ability to detect abnormal chromosome copy numbers, which is not possible via the polymerase chain reaction, (PCR), makes FISH the preferred technique.

No abstract

Objective Pre‐implantation diagnosis of inherited disease is now a viable option for some couples at risk of transmitting inherited disorders to their children. Since the pregnancy begins knowing that the embryo is not at risk, the need for repeated terminations is eliminated. Up to 25 % of the embryo is removed during the procedure, and so it is important to study the resulting pregnancies. Here we report on the obstetric outcome of our first 16 pregnancies resulting from embryo biopsy and preimplantation diagnosis of inherited disease. Setting Teaching hospital. Sample The first 16 pregnancies (12 singletons and 4 twins) following pre‐implantation diagnosis. Results Three singleton pregnancies were lost in the first trimester. Of the remaining pregnancies, two had no prenatal diagnosis, six cases of X‐linked disease had the sex confirmed by ultrasound and chorionic villus sampling was performed in the remaining five. All the singleton pregnancies had an uneventful antenatal course and the birthweights and Apgar scores of the babies were normal. The twin pregnancies presented obstetric complications but these were not unusual. Conclusions Fifteen healthy infants were born, but for the foreseeable future pre‐implantation diagnosis pregnancies should be closely followed up.

IVF represents a useful treatment and improves the chances of fertility, in what was considered a desperate situation.

Pregnancies resulting from biopsied embryos behave similarly to control IVF pregnancies. However, the reduction in cell mass following embryo biopsy occasionally results in reduced levels of circulating serum hCG and smaller ultrasound measurements in early pregnancy.